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What to Know
- The death toll after a 51-year-old highway bridge in the Italian port city of Genoa collapsed has risen to at least 39 people dead
- Former White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman declared she "will not be silenced" by President Donald Trump
- Actor Liev Schreiber denied allegations he attacked a photographer while he was in New York filming popular Showtime series 'Ray Donovan'
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Italian Bridge Collapse Death Rises, Officials Say
The death toll after a 51-year-old highway bridge in the Italian port city of Genoa collapsed Tuesday. The death toll rose to at least 39 people killed and another 15 injured, according to officials. The collapse sent dozens of vehicles tumbling into a heap of concrete and twisted steel. Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte called it "an immense tragedy ... inconceivable in a modern system like ours, a modern country." The disaster, on a major interchange connecting Genoa and other northern cities with beaches in eastern Liguria into France, focused attention on Italy's aging infrastructure, particularly its concrete bridges and viaducts built in the postwar boom of the 1950s and 1960s. What caused the Morandi Bridge to fall remained unknown, and prosecutors said they were opening an investigation but had not identified any targets. Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli said the collapse was "unacceptable" and that if negligence played a role "whoever made a mistake must pay." Early speculation focused on the structural weakness of the span.
Defiant as Trump Rages, Omarosa Says She Won't Be Silenced
Former White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman declared she "will not be silenced" by President Trump, remaining defiant as her public feud with her former boss appeared to shift to a possible legal battle. In an interview with The Associated Press, Manigault Newman, who is promoting her new book about her time in Trump's orbit, said she believes the president's campaign is trying to keep her from telling her story. She commented just hours after Trump's campaign announced it was filing an arbitration action against her, alleging violations of a secrecy agreement she signed. Still, the former reality TV star-turned-political aide declined to answer several questions about her experiences during her year as the highest-ranking African-American aide in Trump's White House, citing the arbitration action. She said she'd been interviewed by special counsel Robert Mueller's office, but would not discuss details. But Manigault Newman insisted she pushed for diversity at the White House, which currently has no African-American in a senior role following her departure.
Twitter Suspends Infowars Founder Alex Jones for 1 Week
Local
Twitter says it is suspending the account of the far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones for one week after he violated the company's rules against inciting violence. The New York Times reports Jones tweeted a link to a video calling for supporters to get their "battle rifles" ready against media and others. Jones won't be able to tweet or retweet from his personal account for seven days, though he will be able to browse Twitter. The Twitter account for his "Infowars" show was not affected.
Actor Liev Schreiber Denies Hitting Photographer
Actor Liev Schreiber denied allegations he attacked a photographer while he was in New York filming the popular Showtime series "Ray Donovan." The 50-year-old was hit with a harassment violation after photographer Sherwood Martinelli claimed Schreiber damaged his camera when he tried to photograph him on June 7. Schreiber appeared in a Nyack courthouse with his lawyer to ask a judge to dismiss the charges. The judge has set a Sept. 20 court date to decide on the dismissal motion. Schreiber's lawyer, Jonathan Ripps, said Schreiber is accused of pushing the camera away after its flash went off. Ripps says the allegation "doesn't rise to the level of any law being broken." Martinelli, who was at the hearing snapping photos, shouted "liar" as the actor got into his car and drove away.
Stevie Wonder, Jesse Jackson Visit Ailing Aretha Franklin
Stevie Wonder visited an ailing Aretha Franklin at her home in Detroit. Franklin's publicist Gwendolyn Quinn told The Associated Press that the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Franklin's ex-husband, actor Glynn Turman, also visited the Queen of Soul, who is seriously ill. A person close to Franklin, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the person was not allowed to publicly talk about the topic, told the AP the singer is ill. No more details were provided. Franklin canceled planned concerts earlier this year after she was ordered by her doctor to stay off the road and rest up. The 76-year-old announced plans to retire last year, saying she would perform at "some select things."
